The New and Improved Bella Swan
by ItsNatalie
Summary: In high school, Bella and Edward were polar opposites. She was an overweight nobody, while he was the popular jock. Despite their differences, they were best friends. After graduation, they lose connection until a surprise reunion. How will Edward react?
1. Chapter 1

**THIS IS MY FIRST FANFICTION.**

Plot is only mine. Everything else belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

**EPOV**

It's been five long years since I last seen Bella. I still remember the last time I saw her, my best friend. It was high school graduation.

The whole class was in the gym, where streamers and balloons decorated almost every inch of the room. It was nice, but all I remember was staring at Bella throughout the ceremony. The teachers made us sit according to our last names. Unfortunately, C and S were at the beginning and end of the alphabet. She sat six rows behind me, looking lonely. I knew she must have felt self conscious, sitting around stick skinny girls who wore too much makeup. Little did she know that I thought she was the most beautiful girl in the room. She was smart, funny, and caring. Many people did not understand why I was friends with her, but it was those qualities that drew me to her like a moth to a flame. I could actually hold a decent conversation with her unlike those fake girls that constantly surrounded themselves around me. All they did was gossip and talk about makeup. I was so glad that after today I would never see them again.

After the ceremony, I tried to find Bella, but hoards of parents and my friends surrounded me. They congratulated me and wished me success. Everyone knew I was going to become someone big in the world. I finally escaped the crowd and searched until I saw a head of brown wavy hair. I pushed my way through the mobs of people and shouted her name, but it was too late. She left without saying goodbye to me. I realized later that she left Forks for good. When I got home, there was letter in my room signed from Bella. I stared at it for five minutes before I gave in. I opened it and slowly read the content. It read:

_I'm sorry Edward for leaving so quickly. I need to get out of this city. I have my own reasons. Just wanted to wish you luck not that you need it. Whatever you do in life, you are going to succeed. Bella_

That letter was like a slap to the face. She didn't even give me a valid explanation for her abrupt departure. I was furious and promised myself that I would never become close to anyone ever again. What is the point when they just walk all over you?

That explains why I am sitting along in a restaurant outside in L.A. I started my own corporation Cullen Enterprises, which became an instant success. I have been named the number one bachelor for three straight years. I wonder what Bella would think if I told her about the titles. _Bella. _I tried not to think about her, but it was difficult. Her words still hurt after all these years yet I could not erase her face.

After my lunch break, I went back to work. As soon as I walked through my office doors, I noticed a woman standing with her back towards me, looking at the view. The words that came to mind were wow and beautiful. She was tall and not too skinny with curves. I was mesmerized. She was wearing a red dress which fit her in all of the right places and black heels. If that was only the back view, I wondered what she looked like in the front.

I shook my head and said, "Excuse me, can I help you?"

Still not turning around, she said, "Hello Edward, it has been a long time."

"Excuse me, but I think you need to get out of my office before I call security."

I quickly went over to the phone on my desk ready to dial the number. Just as I was about to dial the first number, the woman gripped my wrist and took the phone from my hands.

I looked up and came face to face with the one person I hated, but loved at the same time.

"Is that how you greet your best friend?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all the positive feedback! I was nervous to publish a story.**

**I am on Christmas break for one more week, so I will try to publish a chapter a day. As a fanfiction reader, I know waiting for a story makes me antsy. :)**

**I am still learning how to operate this website, so sorry for any e-mails that say I updated or something else.**

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**BPOV**

A lot has changed in five years. I'm no longer "Bloated Bella" or "Big Bella." It was not an easy feat. I had to work out daily and change my diet, but the end results were worth it. I lost 95 lbs and now have a body that rivals Giselle. I frequently get commented by random men, which is both flattering and disgusting. I know that I should be more disgusted, but I deserved the compliments.

Throughout high school, I never received any compliments or got asked out by guys. I was endlessly teased for my body shape and ignored by all. I attended all of the dances alone. On the contrary, Edward had it all. He was mister popular and was constantly surrounded by people. He had no problem getting a date and was the guy whom everyone loved. He was class president and football captain and I was just the loner who liked to read. I only had one other friend named Angela. I never told Edward how much I envied him. I wanted to go to football games without being looked down upon. I wanted to go to parties and stay out past my curfew. I wanted to go shopping with a group of girls and not worry about my size. I just wanted to be **accepted**.

Edward was the only person who made high school bearable. He always told the people who were bothering me to back off. I guess you could say that he was my knight in shining armor. But I did not want him to be that for the rest of my life. I did not want him to fight my battles for me. I was capable of taking care of myself. It was at graduation when it finally dawned on me that I needed to start anew away from this wretched town. So I left without saying goodbye to my best friend. It was still one of the biggest regrets in my life, but I needed to leave. I had to sort out my life.

Now I am standing in Edward's office. The easy part was locating the building, but the hard part was confronting him. _Would he be mad? Of course he would be it is Edward. I should never have come back. What was I thinking? This was a big mistake. _I was so nervous so I sat on one of the leather sofas, looking at my surroundings. I knew that he would start a business and become the CEO after all he had the brains and determination. Hell, he could have accomplished anything he set his mind to. I could not sit still, so I walked over to the windows and stood out looking at the beautiful view. _This is amazing. _Cullen Enterprises was located in the middle of the city. Several other business buildings surrounded it. At this height, I had the perfect view of the sky and the city. When I looked down, I could see tiny pedestrians and cars. I felt my body ease and was about to observe more of the scenery when I heard the door knob turn. _Here it goes._

**EPOV**

_Bella? Bella, bella, bella, bella. _Not a day goes by without her name popping into my head. I tried to not think about her, but it was too difficult. I did not want to admit it, but she would always have a place in my heart. Now here she was standing in my office. She looked like a complete stranger to me. I did not know if she was the same person in high school. _Did she still like to read her tattered copy of Wuthering Heights? Did she still drive that red pickup truck?_ I had no idea.

I stared at this woman for a minute, trying to think of what to say. Words could just not form in my thick head. I was stump. _Think Edward. After all these years, there has to be something you have to say. ANYTHING._

I was about to say something, but was interrupted by Bella.

"Edward, it is rude to stare and close your mouth before flies get in. I have no idea how you got to be the most eligible bachelor."

She turned back around to face the window and said, "I like your office though the colors are a bit drab. It seems to be missing something."

WHAT! She had the nerve to walk back into my life and act like nothing ever happened then criticize my appearance then my office! Who does she think she is?

She started to walk around my office still talking, but I could not comprehend anything she said. I could not believe my best friend _WAIT ex best friend _is in my office. Is this really Bella? She looks _so_ good. There is no denying it. She went through such a huge transformation. However, my anger overcame my lust.

I finally snapped back into reality when I heard her say, "Aw Edward you do not have a photo of us on your desk. That is alright for now. How about we catch up over dinner? I just moved here for business, so maybe we can get reacquainted."

"NO!"

"No?"

"YES NO!"

"I am confused. Are you giving me two answers? Is that a maybe?"

I roared, "Bella! How can you waltz back into my life after what you did? You left without saying goodbye to me! Just so you know we are not best friends anymore! Our friendship ended when you walked out of the gym and my life."

I turned around because I could not look at her face. The memories were just too painful. She left a wound that would never heal. I felt a hand on my shoulder. She turned me around and said, "Dinner tonight," and simply walked out just like she did at graduation.

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**I have no idea where I am going with this story. Suggestions?**


	3. Chapter 3

**BPOV**

That went better than I imagined. He did not really say anything. I guess he was just shocked to see me. I was shocked to see him as well. He still looked the same in high school just a little more mature. His hair was still bronze and sticking up in all directions which only added to his appeal. He wore a pressed suit which showed off his body. He was **perfection**. On the other hand, I probably looked like a completely different person to Edward. I still had the same hair and boring brown eyes. It was just my face and body that had considerably slimmed down.

After he realized it was really me, he kept staring in disbelief, so I started to talk. I was so nervous that I kept rambling. His sudden outburst caught me off guard. All of a sudden I needed to get out of Edward's office. The last time I felt that way was at graduation. I needed to explain to him my sudden appearance. I just hoped that all of this new information would settle in and he would be calm down by then. Dinner should be eventful.

**EPOV**

_This is a dream. I am going to wake up in my fluffy bed and forget all of this ever happened._

I opened one eye and was disappointed to see my office. I had been sitting in my chair, hoping that everything that had occurred today was just my imagination. Unfortunately, it was all real. _Bella is back_. For some reason, my brain still could not process that piece of information. It was amazing the effect she left on me after not seeing her for five years.

I noticed a note on my desk with the address of the restaurant and time. So what now? Should I ignore her offer and move on with my life without her or go to dinner and see why she came back? The first option was tempting. I mean that is what I have been doing for the past five years. However, I knew that I could not run away from my problems. I had to know why she was back. Curiosity always got the best of me. I just hoped that I would not regret my decision after all _curiosity killed the cat._

By the time I looked at the clock, I only had an hour to get ready and to drive to the restaurant. It was a good thing that I always kept spare clothes in my office in case of emergencies and this was a **_major_** one. I walked over to one of my cabinets and peered through the contents. The restaurant she wrote down was one which required a tie. _Why on earth would she choose a formal restaurant? _I chose a green tie which complimented my eyes and a white button down shirt. I moved to the bathroom and attempted to tame my hair, but gave up. Despite my current annoyance with Bella, I wanted to look good for her. When I was done, I looked at the clock and saw that I had fifteen minutes left. _Crap._ I rushed out of my office and into my Ferrari. I drove faster than usual and made it to restaurant with a couple of minutes to spare. I tossed my keys to the valet, warned him not to scratch my baby, and walked into the familiar restaurant.

It was an Italian restaurant with candles and flower arrangements on every flat surface. The interior resembled that of a real restaurant in Italy. I could hear a a violin being played somewhere in the room and I could even smell the delectable aroma from the kitchen. _This was a perfect place to have a romantic date. However, that was not my case. This was just a meeting between friends, scratch that two people. _I walked to the main table and was greeted by William, the host.

"Hello, Mr. Cullen. Welcome back! Will you be dining alone?"

"No William, I am actually meeting someone here. Is there a table for Swan?"

"Let me look.. ahh yes. The beautiful woman came here just a few minutes ago. Her table is this way. Please follow me."

The restaurant was filled with happy, smiling couples. I checked my appearance, looked around, and finally spotted _her_. There she was, sitting alone. She was wearing a green cocktail dress which showed off her new slim figure. _Ok Edward, you still have time to leave. You do not have to go through with this. _I was starting to hyperventilate and my head was starting to spin. It was _too late._ As soon as she saw me, a smile formed on her lips. _It has been a while since I last seen that gorgeous smile_. Her hair was in a bun with a couple of loose curls hanging. She was a vision in green. I could not tear my eyes away from her. She got up from her seat and hugged me. I awkwardly hugged her back. _Damn she looked and smelt good._

"Edward, you came. Your tie compliments your eyes perfectly. Coincidentally we are matching too! Here come sit."

I turned around and caught William giving me a wink. He probably thought that this was a date. _Far from it._

She motioned towards the empty seat. Still speechless, I could only nod my head and sat down. She started talking about what the best foods were on the menu. I allowed her to talk because I could not find my voice. I got lost in her deep chocolate brown eyes. After we placed our orders, there was a long silence.

I could tell that she felt slightly uncomfortable, so she started the conversation as always. She was the more loquacious one. I was grateful for that.

"So CEO? I knew you would become successful!"

The conversation was just small talk. I learned that she became a business consultant and had to relocate from New York to LA. Despite the long distance, she managed to visit Charlie every now and then. She even traded her beloved red pick up truck for a Mercedes SL 550 Roadster. I had to agree with her. That truck needed to go. _A lot has changed since high school._ I guess I thought everything would be the same._ But she looked happy. _She asked me about my family and I told her that Emmett married Rosalie after high school and Jasper married Alice last year. She instantly brightened up at the familiar names. I saw her glance at my ring finger, but she did not ask about whether I was dating someone or not. The conversation, instead, turned to her mocking my "most eligible bachelor" title. I joked that I worked hard for that title and was proud of it.

I continued to talk and became comfortable around her. _It felt like high school again._ It was hard to stay mad at Bella. However, I was not going to let her back into my life so easily. I would never forget what she did to me.

When I finally gathered up my strength, I looked her in the eye and asked her the question that had been on my mind since I saw her in my office.

"Why did you come back?"

She froze up, reached for her glass of wine, took a long, tentative sip then sighed, "Edward, I am getting married. I would love for my best friend to come to my wedding."

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**So there is the reason! Did you guys like it? I was not sure, so review and tell me what you guys think! Though I might change it because I had a couple of more shock worthy endings. :)**


	4. AN

I have already gotten a ton of messages in my inbox, complaining about Chapter 3 ending.

They were along the lines of the _ending does not make sense, that excuse does not really justify her leaving_, and so on.

So I reread the chapter and you know what? I agree, though there are many others who still liked it.

Like I said, I have no idea where I am going with this story. I am just making it up as I go along.

I am leaving two endings for you guys to decide on.

1) "Edward, I am getting married. I would love for my best friend to come to my wedding."

2) "Edward, I am dying. I only have six months to live."

The second one probably fits more into the story. It makes sense for her to suddenly come back.

Yes, I know the two are heading in two completely opposite directions. That is why I need some feedback. Do not be afraid to tell me what you guys really think. Criticism is welcome.

**Thanks. XOXO :)**


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